Mentorship appointments are now available from late June to mid-September 2024. Scroll down for the schedule and Mentor-instructor profiles.
To view availability and sign up for an appointment, please click here. All appointments are in Eastern time. Remember to sign up for only ONE slot so that we can make this program available to as many people as possible.
Please check back in September for fall appointments. If you have other questions, please contact [email protected].
Elizabeth Gonzalez James is a screenwriter and author of the novels, Mona at Sea and The Bullet Swallower, as well as the chapbook, Five Conversations About Peter Sellers.
Interests and expertise: Long-form fiction and novels, Short or flash fiction, Personal Essay, Publishing, Screenwriting; literary fiction, book to film adaptation, hybrid nonfiction, working with small presses
Appointments:
- Monday, August 12, 10:30 AM-12:00 PM ET (Zoom)
- Monday, September 9, 2:00-3:30 PM ET (Zoom)
Jasper “Jaz” Joyner (they/them) is a Memphis-based Black transmasc author, poet, and editor of the LGBTQ magazine Focus. Their chapbook, A Flamboyance with Bottlecap Press and debut YA fantasy novel, Juniper Leaves are now available. Their book, Pansy: A Black American Memoir, will be out in October 2024.
Interests and expertise: Personal Essay, Short or flash fiction, Screenwriting; Magical realism, comedy, humor essay writing, essays, lgbtq/queer essays, poetry, poetic/lyrical writing
Appointments:
- Friday, August 16, 4:30-6:00 PM ET (Zoom)
- Friday, August 30, 12:00-1:30 PM ET (Zoom)
Vanessa Lewis is a professional writer with more than 10 years of experience in various industries, including journalism, marketing, and publishing. She has successfully published two books and numerous articles in reputable publications. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, she guides her mentees with practical advice, constructive feedback, and personalized strategies to help them achieve their writing goals..
Interests and expertise: Short or flash fiction, Personal Essay, Promotion/Marketing; literary fiction, memoir and personal essay, sensitivity reading
Appointments:
- Saturday, July 20, 11:00 AM-1:00 PM ET (Zoom)
- Saturday, August 3, 11:00 AM-1:00 PM ET (Zoom)
Kira Rockwell is a writer and educator for the stage and screen. Teaching credits include Georgia State University, Brandeis University, and Wheaton College. Her plays have been produced/developed by Actor’s Express, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, and more. She holds a BFA in Theatre Performance and an MFA in Playwriting from Boston University. You can check out her website here.
Interests and expertise: Playwriting , Promotion/Marketing; My expertise as a teacher is rooted in trauma-informed writing practices, character development, dramatic structure, cultivating theatricality, and sharply reflecting back areas of great potential. You will be met with a nurturing approach that balances encouragement, professionalism, strategy, humor and passion. I'm a huge nerd when it comes to the theatre, and I can share a plethora of professional resources for playwrights, from submission deadlines to podcasts. My feedback is rooted in Liz Lerman's Critical Response Process, which means to say, my feedback is intentionally structured to leave the writer eager and motivated to get back to work.
Appointments:
- Friday, August 9, 12:00-1:30 PM ET (Zoom)
- Friday, August 23, 3:00-4:00 PM ET (Zoom)
Samantha Shanley’s essays have appeared in the Washington Post, New York Times, Boston Globe Magazine and others. Samantha has worked with domestic abuse survivors in South Central Los Angeles and Boston. She now lives with her three children near Boston, where she teaches workshops on family, relationships and travel.
Interests and expertise: Personal Essay, Book-length Memoir; Nonfiction topics related to motherhood, parenting, family, and travel
Appointments:
- Thursday, August 22, 5:00-5:30 PM ET (In-person or Zoom)
Aimee Suzara is a Filipino-American poet, playwright, and performer. Her debut poetry book is Souvenir (2014) and her writing appears in publications including Lantern Review, Orion Magazine, Poets.org and Raising Mothers. She has worked in many cross-genre collaborations with music, theater and dance theater, including one with the Grammy-Award-Winning Kronos Quartet.
Interests and expertise: Playwriting , Poetry, Personal Essay; Race, history, body, BIPOC, A/PIA identities, mothering and creative life, poetry for social action, performance poetry and spoken word, interdisciplinary/ multi-genre performance, using archival materials.
Appointments:
- Wednesday, August 21, 1:30-3:00 PM ET (Zoom)
- Wednesday, September 4, 2:00-3:30 PM ET (Zoom)
Victor Yang is a queer writer and organizer. His writing has been published or forthcoming in Longreads, The Rumpus, The Southern Review and The Boston Globe, among others. He was a 2020-2021 Boston Artist-in-Residence. He earned an MFA from Boston University and works in movements for racial justice.
Interests and expertise: Long-form fiction and novels, Short or flash fiction, Personal Essay, Book-length Memoir, Publishing; literary fiction and CNF, queer lit, BIPOC contemporary American literature, Asian-American literature; also always jazzed to talk about the practice of writing, the feelings that come up with writing, the publishing side of things (i am agented), can also host mentorship hours in Spanish and/or Mandarin
Appointments:
- Tuesday, July 23, 2:00-3:30 PM ET (Zoom)
- Monday August 5, 4:30-6:00 PM ET (Zoom)
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost for a Mentorship appointment?
Thanks to our generous donors, Mentorship appointments are free to students. We also hope to grow this program in the future. As we are compensating mentors for their time, it’s important that students turn up for their appointments. If you can’t make it for an appointment after signing up, please email [email protected] so that we can release the appointment and someone else can use the time.
Where will Mentorship appointments be held?
Mentorship appointments take place either in person at the Seaport or remotely on Zoom. You will receive a reminder email 3 to 5 days before your appointment.
If you have an in-person appointment, it will contain details about the classroom location and parking or transport reimbursement. If you have a Zoom appointment, you will receive two emails: the reminder email, and an email with the Zoom link 15 minutes before the appointment begins.
What’s the best way to use these appointments?
We suggest that students prepare a list of questions in advance. It’s best to keep your questions focused and specific, like: “I am having X challenge with my plot/protagonist and have tried these things without breaking through. Do you have suggestions for how I can try to resolve this?”
Students will also have the opportunity to submit questions in advance to help their mentor prepare. This is optional during the registration process but highly recommended, as it can make the meeting even more productive.
Please note that the 30-minute appointments are actually 25 minutes; the last 5 minutes are to allow time to transition from one appointment to another.
Can I use my appointment time to get on-the-spot feedback on manuscript pages?
If you choose to use your time for this, sure! However, given that the appointment is for 25 minutes, it may be challenging to get meaningful feedback within this structure. The mentor is not being compensated for any outside work before or after these appointments, and we don’t expect or require them to complete any projects outside of the appointment times.
You might want to consider another program that might be better suited for manuscript reviews. Consider a Muse & the Marketplace Manuscript Mart appointment where you submit work ahead of time for feedback on several pages. Scholarships are available! There are other manuscript consultation programs available at GrubStreet as well.
How many appointments can I sign up for?
Please sign up for only ONE appointment per quarter. If you would like a second appointment in the same quarter, please contact [email protected] with your request.
What if I miss my appointment or arrive late?
If you know you can’t make your appointment, please email [email protected] and let us know. We will release the appointment and another person can use the time. Last-minute cancellations or no-shows cannot be rescheduled. If an unexpected emergency arises, we’ll do our best to reschedule, though we can’t make guarantees.
If unfortunately, you miss your appointment, remember that more Mentorship appointments will be offered later this year, and you can sign up again.
What if I have a suggestion or feedback about my appointment or the Mentorship program?
Everyone will receive a survey within a week of their appointment. If you would like to submit feedback outside of a survey, please write to [email protected].